WBIR-TV in Knoxville is reporting that the University of Tennessee has fired athletic director John Currie for his handling of the search for a new head football coach.
According to reports, Currie attended a short meeting Friday morning at the chancellor’s office. The meeting reportedly lasted approximately eight to 10 minutes.
When asked if he had been fired, Currie refused to comment on what happened during the meeting.
The university has not released a statement about the situation. Due to his contract, Currie would likely be owed money from the university.
Currie has been under fire after multiple attempts to hire a new head coach have failed.
Former head coach Butch Jones was fired in November.
The Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting that UT Chancellor Beverly Davenport “has a press conference scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Friday,” at which time it is expected Chancellor Davenport will confirm Currie has been fired.
As The Tennessee Star reported, a revolt by Vol fans last Sunday on social media forced Currie to withdraw his offer to former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano:
Harsh social media reaction forced University of Tennessee Athletic Director John Currie to back off from hiring former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano as the school’s new head coach on the same day ESPN first reported the deal with Schiano had been agreed to by all parties.
“Tennessee has backed out of a memorandum of understanding with Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano to be the Volunteers’ next football coach, sources told ESPN’s Chris Low,” ESPN reported Sunday night shortly after 8 p.m. eastern
The situation worsened for Currie and the University of Tennessee earlier this week when several sources suggested that Schiano might sue the University of Tennessee for pulling the offer, since both he and Currie signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
A number of other potential head coaches subsequently approached by Currie turned him down flat after he pursued them as possible candidates to head up the Tennessee football program, including Mike Gundy of Oklahoma State and David Cutcliffe of Duke.
This whole thing has been absolutely humiliating to UT. It has been reduced to looking like a beggar who doesnt deserve a quality hire–absolutely ridiculous. Quite obviously currie was NOT ready for a big time job and that lies right at the feet of Davenport who needs to feel some heat as well. Good grief this thing has been a joke.